Sewage treatment systems which are commonly utilized in private family dwellings or commercial establishments which are not served by municipal or other sewage treatment facilities conventionally utilize a sewage treatment system including a closed septic tank vessel which receives raw sewage from the dwelling unit or other establishment, this septic tank vessel retaining the solids and discharging aqueous effluent into an adjacent disposal field. Certain installations utilize a dry-well type of disposal field, while others may employ a drain field, with the latter disposal field being generally preferred for most geographical locations, particularly where clay or other heavily compacted soils are present. The selection of disposal fields will normally be determined by the type and effectiveness of the drainage area, including the soil conditions, the topography, and certain other considerations as well.
The rate of discharge of fluid effluent from the disposal area is normally dependent upon the soil condition, as well as the effective area of the field. For given soil conditions and given disposal field areas, it has been determined that discharge of effluent may be accelerated when electrolytic treatment means are employed in the system. In the present system, electrolysis is believed to exist between the anodes and cathodes by virtue of the electrolytes present in the effluent, and the dissimilar nature of the anodes and cathodes. In this system, electrode means including an anode and a cathode prepared from dissimilar materials are arranged laterally adjacent the disposal field, and are electrolytically coupled, one to another, through the electrolytes contained in the sewage effluent. It has been found that the field generated by virtue of the anodes and cathodes assists and enhances the ultimate discharge or drainage of the fluid effluent from the disposal field proper.
When a disposal field consists of coarse gravel, sand, or the like, rates of discharge of aqueous fluid effluent is normally not a problem. However, when dense soils including clay, gumbo, or the like are found, the discharge of aqueous fluid effluent proceeds at a somewhat slower rate. Clay particles are normally composed of thin crystals, the crystals being in the form of atomic sheets. When clay particles are dry, the substance is normally electrically neutral. However, when moistened, clay particles have been found to develop a negative electrical charge. Since water is a bipolar substance, the positive poles of the molecule will adhere to the negatively charged particle, thus forming a shield or sheath of water molecules around the particle. In typical fashion, additional water molecules are held in a second layer or sheath by the exposed negatively charged poles of the first layer. These electrical forces holding or retaining the water molecules in contact with the clay gradually decrease with distance from the clay particle until effectively diminished or lost. The net result is an immobile layer of water surrounding each particle of clay, the immobile layers being surrounded in turn by free water. The amount of free water present in the system will depend upon the available spaces between individual clay particles. In highly dense clay soils, the capillarity can be extremely small, and voids are substantially non-existent.
A pair of dissimilar electrodes are utilized, one forming the anode, and the other the cathode, the pair forming a cell and being electrolytically coupled, one to another, through the electrolytes contained in the sewage effluent. The field generated has been found to cause more rapid dispersal of aqueous fluid in a disposal field, and accordingly a more complete dispersal and a more rapid rate of discharge of effluent from the disposal field.